Omani Poetry Festival kicks off

The 13th Omani Poetry Festival, organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, kicked off on Sunday and will run until December 18, under the auspices of Dr Mohammed bin Said al Maamari, Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, at the Ministry of Information Theatre in Muscat, with the participation of a selection of poets from the Sultanate of Oman and Arab countries. Abdullah bin Mohammed al Harthy, Director-General of Knowledge and Cultural Development at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, said: “This festival, which was launched in 1998, comes to celebrate great Omani heritage, highlights the features of the modern poetic scene in Oman, and honours the symbols of poetry and the torchbearers of the word.'